WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives will not extend a 1994 assault weapons ban set to expire next year despite President Bush (news - web sites)'s call for its renewal, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said.

"The votes in the House are not there to reauthorize it," said DeLay, a Texas Republican and staunch foe of gun control.

The 1994 ban on military-style assault weapons expires in 2004 unless the U.S. Congress renews it. Bush, who generally opposes additional gun control legislation, has said he believes the ban should remain in effect.

A group of mostly Democratic senators last week opened a drive to get the extension passed in the U.S. Senate, and called on Bush to help.

They said they were optimistic it would clear the Senate but that it would need active help to win in the House, where pro-gun sentiments are stronger and Delay has considerable control over the agenda.

The influential National Rifle Association opposes extending the ban that applies to semi-automatic assault weapons like the Uzi and the AK-47 that have high ammunition capacity and are capable of rapid fire at close range.

Another top NRA priority, a bill giving gun makers and gun sellers broad protection against lawsuits, recently passed the House and is pending in the Senate.

Well don't get too relaxed, that is exactly what the pro gun controle people would like to see, all of us just calm down and stop all this letter wrighting and phone calling because we think it will just go away. Be more active than ever, right now, until it is final, and on going after that. Pro gun controle is always active, loud, and in someones face, we must be also.